FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A rapidly expanding, multi-state autism treatment provider headquartered in South Florida has acknowledged that it is the target of a sweeping federal investigation concerning its billing practices, even as it contends with mounting civil litigation from major health insurance plans and the abrupt unraveling of a major collegiate philanthropic partnership.
ABA Centers of America, a Fort Lauderdale-based firm whose financial fortunes and physical footprint surged to national prominence in less than six years following its establishment in 2020, has been under intense federal scrutiny since early 2025. The inquiry, spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, broadened significantly when a federal magistrate in New Hampshire authorized investigators to review the electronic communications and Microsoft email accounts of founder Christopher M. Barnett and several other upper-echelon corporate executives.
An extensive 81-page federal affidavit submitted to the U.S. District Court in New Hampshire details a wide-ranging probe into potential criminal offenses. According to court filings, federal agents are actively investigating allegations of false statements relating to healthcare matters, wire fraud, healthcare fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and transacting in criminal proceeds. The prosecution team handling the matter is drawn from the fraud section of the U.S. Justice Department’s criminal division in Washington, D.C., working in close coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Concord, New Hampshire.
Despite the breadth of the ongoing inquiry, representatives for the company note that no formal criminal charges have been filed against either the business entity or any individual associated with it.
"We are aware that the federal government is investigating the company," said Maria Isina Areco, director of public relations for ABA Centers and its parent organization, ICBD Holdings, in an emailed statement to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "Estamos working with federal investigators and will respond at the appropriate time."
Allegations of Fraudulent Billing and Inflated Claims
According to the detailed law enforcement affidavit unsealed in federal court, the core of the government’s investigation centers on allegations of fraudulent billing practices directed at various healthcare benefit programs. Investigators assert that the company submitted claims that systematically misrepresented the actual place of service, the identity of the rendering provider, and the underlying medical necessity for services purportedly rendered in the District of Massachusetts, the District of New Hampshire, and other jurisdictions.
The affidavit further alleges that ABA Centers, operating through an affiliated billing subsidiary, billed healthcare plans for activities that did not qualify as legitimate medical treatment. Examples cited in the court documents include billing for therapy sessions while a young patient was asleep or watching television. Investigators state that the company scheduled and provided these purported therapy services not based on clinical medical necessity, but rather driven by an internal rating system that categorized child and adolescent patients according to the potential profits the enterprise could extract from each individual’s health insurance plan.
As part of their fact-finding mission, federal agents have conducted interviews with numerous former employees of ABA Centers as well as patients and their families. These witness accounts reportedly helped investigators uncover specific geographical billing discrepancies, such as instances where services delivered in Massachusetts were billed under New Hampshire provider locations because healthcare plans in the Granite State offered higher reimbursement rates.
Furthermore, investigative records and interviews led authorities to conclude that Barnett allegedly utilized proceeds generated through these disputed billing channels to fund an extravagant personal lifestyle. The affidavit asserts that the founder acquired luxury automobiles and a corporate jet, in addition to leasing a multi-million-dollar waterfront residence in Fort Lauderdale.
Concurrent Civil Litigation and Insurer Counterclaims
Beyond the federal criminal inquiry, ABA Centers of America finds itself embroiled in complex civil litigation with major corporate entities and health insurance providers across multiple states.
Among these legal battles is a high-stakes dispute with Publix Super Markets and its corporate group health benefits plan. ABA Centers initially initiated legal action against the supermarket chain in Florida state court, asserting that the company was owed millions of dollars in unpaid medical claims. Publix fired back by filing a counter-lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, accusing the therapy provider of engaging in a fraudulent enterprise under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly known as RICO.
The Publix counterclaim, which seeks approximately $15 million in damages, characterizes ABA Centers as an organization that marketed itself as a premier provider of high-quality applied behavior analysis therapy for families of children on the autism spectrum, while simultaneously generating large, unjustified insurance claims.
The litigation was subsequently transferred to the Southern District of Florida in Fort Lauderdale and assigned to U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal. In a ruling issued late last year, Judge Singhal permitted the majority of the Publix lawsuit to move forward, allowing six out of nine counts to stand while setting legal deadlines for defense counsel from the Greenberg Traurig law firm to formulate a response.
In a written order dated August 28, Judge Singhal addressed the mechanics of the alleged billing scheme outlined by the plaintiffs. "Before the court is a civil case that could also be brought as a criminal action," the judge wrote. He detailed allegations that the healthcare provider defendants submitted artificially inflated bills to the insurance plan, intending for the plan to calculate payout obligations based on those exaggerated figures while never genuinely intending to collect the corresponding copayment portions from the employee plan members receiving treatment.
Similar civil litigation is currently active in Massachusetts state court, where Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Point32Health Services are locked in a legal dispute with ABA Centers. After ABA initially sued over alleged nonpayment of claims, the Point32 subsidiaries filed an amended counterclaim against the therapy provider and a related corporate entity, Integrative Healthcare Services. The health plans are seeking more than $19 million in damages, alleging a far-reaching scheme designed to defraud the corporate entities.
Temple University Walks Away from $55 Million Pledge
The existence of the federal criminal investigation first came to light publicly through reporting on an online Substack publishing outlet titled "Reinforcement & Ruin," authored by Samantha Parnham, a certified behavioral health analyst operating an independent practice in Oregon. Her six-part analytical series examined federal court records and civil filings concerning ABA Centers. Trade publications such as Behavioral Health Business and Acuity Media subsequently followed the developments within the behavioral healthcare sector.
Despite the federal investigation having roots dating back well over a year, word of the probe apparently did not reach Barnett’s undergraduate alma mater, Temple University in Philadelphia, until early September. Just one year prior, the university had proudly announced the acceptance of a historic $55 million philanthropic pledge from Barnett directed toward its school of public health.
In recognition of what was heralded as the largest single gift in the university’s history, Temple formally renamed its College of Public Health to the Christopher M. Barnett College of Public Health.
However, in a campus-wide communication issued by university leadership, Temple President John Fry and Board Chair Mitchell L. Morgan announced that the institution and Barnett had mutually agreed to terminate the $55 million commitment announced the previous autumn. University officials confirmed that no financial contributions had actually been paid toward the pledge prior to its cancellation, and the building signage bearing Barnett’s name has since been removed.
A media relations representative for Temple University declined to respond to inquiries regarding the exact circumstances surrounding the school’s decision to sever ties with its donor. In their joint letter, university leaders noted that Barnett "strenuously" denied any wrongdoing and indicated that he was simultaneously managing a "life-threatening" medical issue, though they provided no further elaboration.
Representatives for ABA Centers of America have not responded to inquiries concerning Barnett’s current health status or whether he retains operational control over the enterprise he founded.
A Rapid Rise and "Disruptive" Business Model
Founded in 2020, ABA Centers of America experienced meteoric financial growth that propelled the enterprise onto several prominent corporate ranking lists. In 2024, the company secured the No. 5 spot on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies, followed by a ranking of No. 25 nationally and No. 15 regionally on subsequent lists.
Barnett, who describes himself as a serial entrepreneur, worked in the real estate sector prior to the 2008 housing market crash before pivoting his professional focus toward healthcare. Biographical profiles indicate he earned a political science degree from Temple University and a law degree from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida, though the Florida Bar does not list him as an active member.
His healthcare enterprises expanded steadily from the ground up. According to a profile published by Florida Trend, an earlier venture founded by Barnett—a behavioral healthcare center in Nashua, New Hampshire, named GateHouse Treatment—served as the operational cornerstone for ICBD Holdings. Based at 110 E. Broward Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, ICBD currently functions as the parent holding company controlling ABA Centers, Curative AI, Exact Billing Solutions, and several other associated commercial entities.
At its peak operational capacity, profiles indicated ABA Centers employed more than 2,000 individuals across clinical facilities located in over ten states, though recent industry reports have noted strategic facility closures and staffing layoffs.
Within the South Florida community, Barnett has maintained an active philanthropic and civic profile. Earlier in the year, he was inducted into the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County Alumni Hall of Fame, having spent his childhood as a participant at a club in Lauderhill. In 2024, he was appointed to the board of directors for the Memorial and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital foundations.
In its communication with the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the company defended its overarching operational strategy, characterizing its approach as "disruptive to the status quo."
"We always knew that our business model is disruptive to the status quo and upends current business models for both providers and payors," the company statement noted. "It is also important to note that this investigation does not appear to be focused on the quality of the care that we provide."
The organization emphasized its ongoing commitment to delivering clinical outcomes for children with autism and addressing chronic waiting lists within the healthcare system. "As our company grows and matures, we have continued to increase our investment in staff training on compliance and documentation of our work," the statement added.
Expansion Across Florida
Publicly available corporate filings and company announcements indicate that ABA Centers began establishing a physical presence in Florida under the trade name ABA Centers of Florida starting in 2022, opening its first facility in Port St. Lucie. Additional clinics subsequently opened in Jensen Beach, Tamarac, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando.
The company maintains that its clinical operations have successfully assisted thousands of families navigating autism spectrum diagnoses. According to the firm, its clinical framework relies on standardized professional assessments to formulate individualized, data-driven, and science-backed treatment plans.
"That treatment plan establishes the amount of care needed for each client on a weekly basis, and the specifics of their treatment to maximize the clinical outcome," the company stated. "Our care decisions are guided by the treatment plan, which is implemented by a dedicated team of providers. We present the treatment plan to health care payors for authorization, and we provide care that has been authorized by the payor. Health insurance plans only pay for what has been authorized."
